I have a tricky situation, please be kind…
I lived in Japan for almost 5 years but I’m moving back to the States now. I quit my job, sold/sent home all my stuff, and bought a plane ticket for July 5th, in just a few days. I’m currently traveling with a friend and we’re going to fly home together.
Today, we arrived at a guesthouse. While exiting the shower, I slipped on the bath mat, fell, and I’m pretty sure I sprained the top of my foot. (This is 100% the guest house’s fault because the bath mats they provided had zero traction and that is what caused me to slip.) The x-rays and CT scan said there’s no breaks or fractures, but the ER doc also said I might need to see an orthopedic. For now, I get crutches.
I have no idea what’s going to happen. It was my first time calling 119 and my first time ever in an ambulance. Will I miss the flight? Will I even be able to fly? I don’t have a Japanese address but I do have a zairyu card. My insurance is good only until the 5th, I think, since I cancelled it and paid it all off. And most importantly, how is the guest house going to respond? This is 100% on them for providing the unsafe bath mat. I’m pretty pissed at the moment, hopefully that all made sense.
12 comments
If you want resolution with the guest house, you’ll miss the flight. If you’re okay just going back to the states and dealing with your injury there, but forfeiting any responsibility by the guest house, you’re free to leave and catch your flight. You might want to call the airport and ask for assistance if you’re unable to move by yourself.
What do you need the guesthouse to do? You could ask them to pay your hospital bill but I doubt that will happen, although they probably have insurance.
I mean.. you have 3 days to rest up and lots of people travel with broken appendages, maybe you could spring the extra money to get a seat with extra legroom? That would be way comfier.
It’s not America, you can’t sue for a slippery bath mat.. or hot coffee.
Unsafe bath mat.. right. Good luck.
Go see an orthopedic clinic in the morning stat, and get them to sell you a gravity boot to take with you. That should be enough support. Should be around ¥3k.
Hey, I just had my first ever ambulance ride too!
I didn’t know guesthouses or anyplace was REQUIRED to provide ‘safe absolutely no positively no slip bath mats”. A bath mat is a bath mat. Often times just a towel. There could’ve been no bath mat there and still not their fault really that you slipped in a watery place like the shower.
You sprained your foot. It’s not broken or fractured. You can still presumably bend your knee and everything else is in good working order. You’ll be fine. Just go to a clinic before your departure and they’ll probably give you some recommendations on icing and a boot. Maybe get some pain relief. You’re not dying. People fly with worse all the time.
Instead of being pissed at them maybe be extra careful getting in/out of the shower? Idk. It’s just an unfortunate accident and they’re no more at fault than you are frankly.
If it’s confirmed a sprain, treat the sprain as prescribed by the doctor. Let the airline know, perhaps they can accommodate seating if it’s available to allow you to elevate your foot as needed if the sprain is really bad. If you are flying business or first, then that won’t be an issue.
Most if not all ER docs recommend an orthopedic doctor when you sprain something. It is for follow up. As someone else said, visit one and get a gravity boot if you think you need it. But most likely, with proper rest and care now, you won’t need one unless you severely sprained it.
Also, the guest house won’t be liable for anything. Non slip mats aren’t a requirement. A little personal responsibility about ensuring your footing is secure when getting out goes a long way.
> I’m pretty pissed at the moment, hopefully that all made sense.
If it’s at anyone other than yourself, then you need to have a long hard think about who’s really responsible here.
On the guesthouse liability – this isn’t the US, you’re expected to exercise some due care and attention. You can try to sue if you want, but you’ll be laughed out of any competent lawyer’s office.
> Will I miss the flight? Will I even be able to fly?
That’s up to you, you can travel with a sprain. I’ve flown with a sprained ankle before, it’s unpleasant but it’s not the end of the world.
On the traveling with an injury – best you’ll get is they’ll assist you to your seat, unless you can afford to pay for a business class upgrade. The only seats that have room for you to elevate your foot outside of business are the emergency exit rows, and those are reserved for passengers who are physically able to assist the crew in an emergency. They’ll stow your crutches for you though.
Ambulance for a sprained ankle?? Jesus
You slipped on a mat that was placed there to ensure that you wouldn’t slip. I don’t understand how the guest house would be responsible for trying to prevent slippages in the first place. That’s faulty logic right there.
You won’t miss your flight. Go to orthopedic (整形外科) and tell them you need to fly back in a few days, see what they say and if they can offer anything to help during the flight. Call your flight and ask if you can get a wheelchair so you don’t have to hobble on crutches. This also generally allows you to board the flight before others, and may allow for changing of seats to something that makes it a lot easier to get in/out of wheelchairs, hobble to the bathroom, etc. Especially if you don’t want to or can’t upgrade to a seat where you can rest your legs up. If the flight isn’t full, they could even move you to a row where you can prop your legs up.
What do you do? You go to the airport, get on the plane, and fly home.
If you can upgrade to business class, that will make your flight a lot more comfortable.